The Teddy Bear
by PolosElite23
Summary: The simple day of a young cyborg.


Cassie bounded down the hallway, a warbling tune hummed as she clutched her stuffed bear to her chest. Her hazel eyes were bright as she skipped down the dorm hallway before coming to a stop in front of an oak doorway, blond hair swishing from the sudden stop.

She raised a pale hand to knock twice and then opened it, sticking her head inside.

"Hi Claes!" she beamed in greeting.

"Good afternoon," Claes replied in monotone from her top bunk, engrossed in a book.

After looking for the room's second owner in vain Cassie frowned and pushed the door open further and came inside.

"Where's Triela?"

"I think she's doing laundry. She should return soon," Claes replied evenly again, flipping the page of her book.

Cassie let herself sway from side to side slightly as she watched Claes, "Whatcha reading?"

"A book on Russian geography."

"Why?"

"Because it caught my eye," Claes said casting a glance at the younger girl.

"Why do-"

"Why did you come to see Triela?" Claes cut her off, trying to stave a torrent of questions from the younger girl.

"Well Mitch gave me a teddy bear! I wanted to show it to Triela, because she has so many!" The girl gushed holding said bear up for inspection. It was a light brownish bear with black eyes and a button nose.

Claes nodded before turning back to her book, "Triela should be-"

The door handle turned.

"-getting back any moment now."

An older blond girl forced the door open with her hip, her hands holding a full laundry basket. She looked in slight confusion at Cassie standing in the middle of the room holding the bear up to her for inspection.

"Hello Cassie," Triela said after a moment with a curious look to Claes, whom had resumed reading.

"Triela look! Mitch gave me a bear!" Cassie bubbled, her hazel eyes glittering.

Triela smiled as she pulled the door shut with her foot, walked over to the bunk bed and placed the laundry basket down onto the bottom bunk, "That's nice, what is its name?"

"Name?"

"I name all of the bears Hillshire gives me," Triela said gesturing to one of the assorted steiff bears in the room, "For instance this one's named Agustus."

Cassie peered at her bear for a few seconds, "What should I name him?"

Triela rested her arms on one of the high back chairs and rested her chin on them, "Well, that's something you're going to have decide for yourself. Pick a name."

"What did you name your bears?"

Triela looked over to the bears and began to point at them, "Well, that's Agustus like I said. The rest are Bashful, Happy, Dopey, Grump, Sneezy, Sleepy, and Doc."

"How'd you name them all?" Cassie gaped.

"I started to name them after the seven dwarves, now I'm going to start naming them after Roman emperors."

Cassie gave her bear a contemplative stare, scrunching up her face.

"Would you like some tea? Henrietta and Rico should be coming soon for afternoon tea, you're welcome to join us."

Cassie snapped her head up and nodded, "Yes, please."

Triela nodded, "Well then could you help me? Please set out the cups and saucers."

As the two busied themselves with preparing the tea Claes made a stealthy retreat out of the room, seeking solace at her garden. Triela, who'd noticed her escape, shrugged and kept silent. Soon after two additional girls came in.

"Good evening Triela," said the little brunette.

"Hey Triela!" the blond bubbled.

Triela smiled, "Hello Rico, Henrietta. I invited Cassie to join us."

The two gave Cassie a friendly nod and proceeded to take a seat around the table.

"Hi," Cassie bubbled, clutching the bear to her chest.

"Good morning, Cassie," Henrietta nodded

Rico giggled and plopped herself down onto Triela's bunk, "Hey."

Henrietta selected on of Triela's many bears and sat down across from Cassie, "Did you get a new bear Triela? I haven't seen that one before."

Triela and shook her head, "No, Cassie's handler got it for her."

Rico looked over at the bear, "That's nice."

Triela set down the teapot in the center of the table before seating herself. Flicking one of her twin-tails over her shoulder she proceeded to pour each of the girls tea.

"Claes hasn't been baking lately, she says she's been studying something. So we'll go without the cakes for today," Triela said apologetically as she poured tea into Henrietta's cup.

"Oh, that's okay," Henrietta smiled, reaching for the sugar bowl and placed a multitude scoops into her tea.

Cassie watched the other girls quietly, fingering the nose of her bear. Rico seemed to down her tea quickly, while Henrietta was refined and took small sips. Triela, on the other hand, took long drags of her tea, before setting the cup down and gazing out the window thoughtfully.

Mitch hadn't told her how she was supposed to drink tea. Was she supposed to be like Rico? Or maybe Henrietta? Triela?

She stared at the tea cup contemplatively, debating on how she should drink it.

Triela noticed the slight frown on her face, "Is something wrong?"

Cassie looked up at Triela. "No."

"Then why the long face?" Triela said taking a sip of her tea.

"I'm not sure how Mitch wants me to drink tea. Did Hillshire teach you?"

Triela was slightly perplexed, "No, I just drink it."

"But you take a long sip, then you stare out the window. You've done that every time." Cassie pointed out.

Triela blinked several times, "That's just how I drink it I guess."

"Signore Jean never told me how to drink tea." Rico added in, "Whenever we're on a mission as long as I do what I'm told he doesn't care."

Cassie nodded, "How about you Henrietta?"

Henrietta hummed, "I think I remember Jose teaching me a long time ago...But I really can't remember."

Cassie nodded, scrunching her face up in thought.

Triela sighed, "If you're that worried about it you should ask him."

"Are you sure?"

"Ye-"

"Do you think he'd get mad if I asked him?"

"N-"

"What if he doesn't know?"

"Then-"

"Or what if he doesn't want me to drink tea?"

"Cassie-"

"What if-"

Triela sighed and gripped the younger cyborg's shoulders, "Cassie, just go ask."

"But what if-"

"Just ask him," she paused, "You want to ask him right?"

"Yes..."

"So just go ask him."

Cassie scrunched her face up slightly before nodding, "Okay."

The little cyborg tottered out of the room and through the halls.

Triela put her hand on her hip and shook her head as she watched her leave. _She'll be a fun one to take care of._

Cassie skipped through the dorm and out into the courtyard towards the administrative building at the SWA. She noticed Priscilla talking animatedly with Olga and two handlers and skipped over to them.

"Hi Pricilla!" She called, causing the blond to turn and smile.

"Hello Cassie, how are you?"

The little girl giggled, "I'm okay. Hi Olga. Hi Jason! Hi Josh!"

Olga smiled and nodded in reply. The two identical twins stood side by side, one stoic, and the other gave a slight smirk and gave a quick "Hello."

"Do you need something?" the stoic one asked with slight impatience, arching an eyebrow over an emerald eye.

"I'm lookin' for Mitch. Do you know where he is?"

The smirking twin ran a hand through his short, raven French cut goatee, "Ahh, looking for Carmine are we?"

The girl nodded eagerly.

He looked thoughtful as he stroked chin, "I think I remember...no, no..." he muttered playfully.

Cassie giggled, "Signore Murphy!"

He sighed, "I thought I told you to call me Jason."

"I forgot," She chirped, "Now can you please tell me where Mitch is?"

Jason grinned mischievously, "He was talking with Bianchi last time I saw him."

"Thank you!" She chirped as she darted off, as the adults watched in amusement.

After skipping through the medical facility doors, a short cheerful chat with the on hand guardsmen, Cassie finally stopped and hesitantly reached up and grasped the door handle to Dr. Bianchi's office. She opened the door and pushed it open, peering inside. Dr. Bianchi was sitting at his desk, pouring over papers, empty coffee mugs littering the desk.

Dr. Bianchi looked up from a folder and smiled, "Why hello Cassie. What brings you here?"

"Lookin' for Mitch. Jason said you two were talkin'."

"He did, did he?" Bianchi nodded, "Well we were earlier. I think he went to his room, but would you mind talking to me for a few seconds before you go find him?"

Cassie nodded, "Sure!"

Bianchi set the folder aside, "Well now, why don't you sit down."

Cassie sat on the stool in front of Bianchi's desk.

Bianchi smiled, "I don't think we've had much time to chat before have we?"

"No."

"Well, how are you liking you're life at the agency?" Bianchi asked, pulling a small paper out and jotting something onto the yellow sheet.

"It's okay. The girls are nice and Mitch is really fun!"

"How is fun? What does he do that's fun."

"The yesterday he took me out and taught me how to play tennis," She chirped excitedly.

"Oh? And how was that?"

"Really hard. I kept hitting the ball too hard or I missed it, but it was a lot of fun! Mitch says it'll help my 'hand-eye cordnomation' get better. He said we can go and play tennis every other day."

Bianchi gave a chuckle as he nodded and jotted something down, "So is Mitch a good handler?"

"Yes!"

"How so?" Bianchi smiled gently

"Well, He's really nice and fun! He says he wants me to have fun and enjoy life, 'cause I don't have as long," Cassie blurted, "Sometimes he reads me a story to go to sleep."

"That sounds wonderful," Bianchi said in a cheerful, but guarded tone.

Cassie's eyes gleamed in delight, "uh-huh!"

"So you're getting along with the other girls?"

"Yup!"

Bianchi smiled, "Why were you looking for Mitch today Cassie?"

Cassie smiled, "I wanted to ask him how he wanted me to drink tea."

Bianchi raised an eyebrow, "And why is that?"

"Well I was drinking tea with Triela and Rico and Henrietta, and they all drink tea the same way every time. Triela drinks it really slow and then looks out the window and Rico gulps it down and Henrietta drinks it really slow, with tiny sips. Henrietta says that Jose taught her how to drink tea like that and-"

Bianchi interrupted the girl before she turned blue, "You wanted to know how he'd want you to drink tea?"

"Yes." Cassie bobbed her head and swung her legs on back and forth, as he jotted something down.

"Well, how are you coping without Mitch around to ask?"

Cassie scrunched her face up, "I gets really lonely."

"You do? Even with everyone else here?" Bianchi said scribbling more words down.

"Yes, but he gave me this bear," she happily holding up said bear to him, "Mitch said that whenever I get lonely to hold this bear and I wouldn't get so lonely."

"Does it help?" Bianchi asked

Cassie hummed in agreement and hugged the bear close to her body, "Yup. I don' feel so lonely anymore when I have Teddy."

"Oh, his name is Teddy?" Bianchi smiled.

"Yes! He's shy though. He only talks to me and Mitch."

"He does doesn't he?" Bianchi smiled, "Well it's nice to know he has a good friend. I'm afraid I have a meeting soon so I'm going to have to cut this chat short. You should go and ask Mitch about that tea."

"Okay." Cassie squeaked as she leapt off the stool and turned to leave.

"Come back and talk with me again some time." Bianchi smiled standing up and letting the girl out the door.

"Okay Dr. Bianchi," Cassie bubbled, "We talk soon."

"Goodbye," Bianchi smiled, watching the little cyborg skip down the hall. He shook his head as he returned inside.

He sat down and opened up the file again and slipped the yellow paper inside. He sighed, at least Jean wouldn't have a reason to force a reboot of Cassie.

Cassie had been suffering acute separation anxiety. She would become mute, isolate herself and become anti-social whenever Mitch left the facility or was somewhere that she couldn't find him. The bear, Teddy as she called him, was a suggestion to try and alleviate the anxiety, with adequate success it seemed.

Bianchi huffed to himself and pulled several folders and binders from his bookshelf. He was to inform the director and several of the chief medical staff of the mental states of the cyborgs.

Three knocks on his door startled Mitch. He swept his azure eyes to the door.

"Who is it?"

A little voice responded, "It's me!"

Mitch smiled and gave a sigh, "Well come on in Cassie."

The little blond pushed open the door and came inside. Mitch spun in his office chair to look at his charge. "What do you need Cass?"

"How should I drink tea?"

Mitch leaned back in his chair and scrunched up his lips into a thoughtful position, "And why do you ask?"

"Because-"

"The short version Cass." Mitch interrupted with a grin.

"Triela, Henrietta and Rico all drink tea differently and Jose taught Henrietta how to drink her tea." Cassie said quickly.

Mitch nodded, "Well, how do you want to drink it?"

Cassie stood there, trying to copy Mitch's thoughtful expression as she thought, "I don't know."

"Well drink it how you want to. As long as you're not getting yourself all wet, its fine." Mitch smiled running his hands through his dusty blond hair as he stretched, "You need anything else Cass?"

The little blond shook her head.

"Alright, Well I have some work to do. Have you done your homework?"

"Yes."

"Did you clean your guns?"

She nodded.

"No chores or anything you need to do?"

A shake of the head.

Mitch smiled and shook his head, "alright cutie, head back to the dorm and get ready for bed. It's pretty late."

"Yes, sir." Cassie smiled, she turned to leave before stopping.

"_You want to ask him right?"_

"_Yes..."_

"_So just go ask him."_

Cassie pivoted around and looked back at her handler "Signor?"

Mitch who had turned back to the laptop on his desk, hummed and turned his head round to look at her, "What?"

The girl blushed and bit her lip, "May I have hug goodnight? Like the little girl in that story you read to me last week?"

Mitch was silent for a second before giving a slight smile and turning his chair around and sighing, "Come 'ere you silly girl."

Cassie skipped over to the man and gave him a chaste hug, which he returned gently.

"Good night Cassie." He said gently.

"Good night signor."

He pulled away and shooed her away, "Bed now Cass. Quit stalling."

"Yes, signor...good night."

As she slipped out the door he stared at where she had been before he looked at the pile of paperwork on his desk. His shoulder slumped and he let out a long sigh. Becoming the surrogate parent to a young girl had not been in the job description he'd received.

_What have I gotten into?_


End file.
